Crucial discussions on nature conservation are ongoing. Here are the main problems.

Negotiators from around the world are meeting in Canada to stop and reverse the staggering decline of wildlife.

MONTREAL, Quebec — Remember the big climate talks in Egypt last month? Another extremely important environmental summit is currently taking place in Canada. There is also a global crisis that threatens life on earth, but has received much less attention: the rampant human-induced loss of biodiversity. This means not only species extinctions, but also staggering declines in the diversity of life on the planet.

Don't stop reading in dread! Biodiversity talks in Montreal could produce the most important global agreement in history to protect and restore nature.

Imagine that.

< p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">They might also end up with something much less ambitious.

They might even fall apart.

< p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0"> Nevertheless, keep reading, because what is happening over the next few days at a convention center in Montreal has significant stakes for life on earth. (For a better idea of ​​that, check out this visual article on habitat loss.)

What is the talks about?

The meeting is known as COP15, as it is the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity. Ultimately, his goal is a new 10-year deal that would allow the world to halt and reverse biodiversity loss. There is no silver bullet for this, so negotiators are fiercely debating the details of about 20 goals that would collectively tackle the problem.

Manage lands and oceans more sustainably. Restoration of degraded areas. Create new protected areas while recognizing the rights of indigenous peoples. Help depleted species recover. Ensuring that wildlife harvesting and trade is sustainable, safe and legal.

These are just the first five. Reducing pollution, minimizing the impact of climate change and tackling subsidies that harm biodiversity, such as funding harmful agricultural practices, are also included. And it's not even half yet. No one said it would be easy.

Time is running out, as countries are expected to achieve these goals by 2030. This also requires a plan to monitor progress along the way. Such oversight was absent from the agreement reached at the last biodiversity COP, which is widely seen as a large part of the reason that agreement failed to achieve any of its global targets.

>

The text is full of square brackets, which separate terms or phrases on which the parties have not yet agreed. So many parentheses. If you want to take a deep dive, Carbon Brief has got them covered. With only a few days left (talks are expected to wrap up Monday), a big question is whether they'll be able to remove those brackets quickly enough.

Most splashy push was one that would commit countries to protecting 30 percent of the world's land and oceans by 2030. Some claimed the conference will rise or fall on that goal; others say it uses way too much oxygen. Either way, the percentage is always in parentheses.

Who is participating?

ImageChinese President Xi Jinping addressed the conference via video on Thursday.Credit...Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian P...

Crucial discussions on nature conservation are ongoing. Here are the main problems.

Negotiators from around the world are meeting in Canada to stop and reverse the staggering decline of wildlife.

MONTREAL, Quebec — Remember the big climate talks in Egypt last month? Another extremely important environmental summit is currently taking place in Canada. There is also a global crisis that threatens life on earth, but has received much less attention: the rampant human-induced loss of biodiversity. This means not only species extinctions, but also staggering declines in the diversity of life on the planet.

Don't stop reading in dread! Biodiversity talks in Montreal could produce the most important global agreement in history to protect and restore nature.

Imagine that.

< p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">They might also end up with something much less ambitious.

They might even fall apart.

< p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0"> Nevertheless, keep reading, because what is happening over the next few days at a convention center in Montreal has significant stakes for life on earth. (For a better idea of ​​that, check out this visual article on habitat loss.)

What is the talks about?

The meeting is known as COP15, as it is the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity. Ultimately, his goal is a new 10-year deal that would allow the world to halt and reverse biodiversity loss. There is no silver bullet for this, so negotiators are fiercely debating the details of about 20 goals that would collectively tackle the problem.

Manage lands and oceans more sustainably. Restoration of degraded areas. Create new protected areas while recognizing the rights of indigenous peoples. Help depleted species recover. Ensuring that wildlife harvesting and trade is sustainable, safe and legal.

These are just the first five. Reducing pollution, minimizing the impact of climate change and tackling subsidies that harm biodiversity, such as funding harmful agricultural practices, are also included. And it's not even half yet. No one said it would be easy.

Time is running out, as countries are expected to achieve these goals by 2030. This also requires a plan to monitor progress along the way. Such oversight was absent from the agreement reached at the last biodiversity COP, which is widely seen as a large part of the reason that agreement failed to achieve any of its global targets.

>

The text is full of square brackets, which separate terms or phrases on which the parties have not yet agreed. So many parentheses. If you want to take a deep dive, Carbon Brief has got them covered. With only a few days left (talks are expected to wrap up Monday), a big question is whether they'll be able to remove those brackets quickly enough.

Most splashy push was one that would commit countries to protecting 30 percent of the world's land and oceans by 2030. Some claimed the conference will rise or fall on that goal; others say it uses way too much oxygen. Either way, the percentage is always in parentheses.

Who is participating?

ImageChinese President Xi Jinping addressed the conference via video on Thursday.Credit...Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian P...

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